West Coast coach John Worsfold has warned Eagles fans to brace themselves for even more short-term pain after the struggling AFL club became favourites to take out the wooden spoon.

The Eagles, on a demoralising five-game losing streak and with just three wins this year, are now $2 frontrunners with TAB Sportsbet to claim the unwanted gong.

Last-placed Richmond, who are only 7.3 per cent adrift of West Coast, are $3 second favourites, with fellow strugglers Adelaide priced at $4.

Worsfold, who has guided West Coast to just 15 wins from 55 outings since the start of 2008, vowed to continue playing youngsters for the rest of the season, claiming the focus on youth took away some of the current pain.

"The doom and gloom right now is we can feel sorry for ourselves or we can do the work to achieve what we want to achieve," Worsfold said.

"We've got a great group of young guys, great group of players at the footy club and they're going to knuckle down and do the work.

"They're disappointed with not winning games but their focus is on becoming a very good side in the future.

"So as tough as it is to cope with losing right now their focus is on where they want to be in two or three years' time."

The Eagles fielded only three 100-plus gamers on the weekend in a side that also featured debutants Koby Stevens and Andrew Strijk.

Skipper Darren Glass is out for the season after groin surgery, gun midfielder Daniel Kerr isn't due back until round 17 at the earliest, premiership defender Sam Butler is on the long-term injury list and promising youngster Luke Shuey is battling glandular fever.

Midfielder Adam Selwood was adamant talk of a wooden spoon didn't faze him or his team-mates.

"We worry about week-to-week footy and the wooden spoon gets decided after round 22 and it doesn't worry me," Selwood said.

"It's a possibility for probably about five clubs I'd imagine at the moment.

"Futures are always on the line whether you're at the top of the ladder or at the bottom.

"There's nine weeks (left) now (and) the players are going to have to perform and whether they're young players or older players, whether they're more skillful, we've got to be prepared."

Worsfold was hopeful defender Shannon Hurn, who injured his calf in Sunday's 60-point loss to the Bulldogs, would be available for the July 3 clash with Collingwood.

Selwood, a late withdrawal against the Dogs, said he was now ready to resume from a shoulder injury while young midfielder Tom Swift is available after missing two games due to illness.

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